Scotland is strategically targeting North America and high-yield travelers from China, the Middle East and India to further drive tourism growth following a record year in 2023, according to Denise Hill, VisitScotland's head of business development and intermediary marketing.
The number of international visitors reached nearly 4 million last year, with both visits and spending exceeding 2019 levels. North America remains a key market, accounting for nearly 25% of international visits.
Traffic has been bolstered this year with WestJet’s flights to Edinburgh Airport (EDI) from Halifax and Toronto, along with JetBlue Airways’ new route from New York John F. Kennedy to EDI. Additionally, American Airlines has confirmed plans to resume Philadelphia-Edinburgh flights in 2025.
“The North American market, our primary international market for inbound tourism, has been the driver of the return of international tourism to Scotland, and demand is forecast to continue strong,” Hill tells Aviation Week.
Europe continues to perform well, with visitors from Germany and France surpassing pre-pandemic levels, along with rising interest from Italy and Spain this year. Emirates will also resume service to EDI from Dubai this winter, complementing its existing daily service to Glasgow.
Hill notes that the growing interest among U.S. travelers for “meaningful travel” presents a significant opportunity for Scotland as the industry aims to become “the responsible tourism destination for the 21st century.” To support this, VisitScotland has partnered with the Tourism Cares Meaningful Travel program and is collaborating with U.S. tour operator TTC to help tourism businesses in Scotland develop climate action plans.
“High-yield travelers are furthermore a focus, along with efforts to support [small and medium-sized enterprises] and micro-businesses in creating more authentic, immersive experiences these travelers increasingly demand—and China, the Middle East and India present strong opportunities here, too,” Hill says.
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